[Hansotek]

Do you have any suggestions of what to do and what not to do while burning in headphones (still somewhat new to all of this and haven't felt the need to burn in a pair until now) I've been letting them play for about 2 hrs. At a time with an hr. Break in between playing my personal music collection through them.

You can just play music through them. I typically just leave stuff playing on random for a week or so. Change up the volume a few times a day so it doesn’t do the whole burn in at one volume.

 

[gLer]

I posted my impressions on Reddit but thought I may as well copy them here too. Please keep in mind this is my first ever review so I’m learning how to describe audio.
Below I will compare the Atticus to two of my favorite “mid-fi” cans. All these comparisons were made with a Bimby/Lyr 2. Perhaps this can help others who are also looking to upgrade.

HD650 – Biggest differences between these two headphones are the Atticus’ improved bass and soundstage. The Atticus has tighter bass with more slam and punch to it. The HD 650 has a lack of weight to the sub-bass in comparison. When going back and forth between headphones, songs with heavy bass (Billie Jean and A Day in the Life) there’s a lack of body to the songs with the HD 650. The Atticus bass is amazing in that it has a certain heft and physical presence to it, yet it never interferes with the rest of the music. The voices on both headphones are among the best I’ve heard but I’d have to give a slight nod to the Atticus. I would say the HD650 sounds more natural due to its open nature. The Atticus however has an advantage in that the increased soundstage creates more separation in the mids. In songs with a lot going on (Concrete Jungle and Da Art of Storytellin Pt.1) voices with the Atticus are at center stage and clearly defined. The HD650 sounds claustrophobic in comparison and instruments begin to blend together. Treble on both headphones is just the way I like it – smooth and laid back. If there’s one thing I detest in headphones, it’s treble peaks. I might have to give a slight edge to the Atticus in detail retrieval, but it’s nothing significant. Comfort on both is excellent, although I would give the edge to the HD 650 due to it’s smaller form and weight. I can comfortably walk around the house with the 650 or lie down in bed. Overall I would say the HD650 punches way above it’s price point, especially at the Massdrop price of $200. I would also recommend the Atticus for anyone who’s heavily invested in this hobby and looking for an upgrade.

Thx00 Purpleheart – Keep in mind that these aren’t stock. I couldn’t stand the stock pads so I switched to ZMF Ori’s and added an attenuation ring. I usually have felt circles beneath the pads to tame the treble, but I removed them for this comparison. There’s a much greater emphasis on sub-bass with Purplehearts and an overall greater bass presence compared to the Atticus. This can be either good or bad depending on your preferences. The bass rumble can be pleasing but it will also detract from the rest of the music and obscure details. The Atticus is quick, precise, and punchy. I will say though that the Atticus responds very well to EQ with the Schiit Loki. I can raise the sub-bass to Purpleheart levels without detracting too much from the midrange. Speaking of the mid-range, this is where the Atticus really separates itself from the PH. Vocals are more upfront and clearly defined. Atticus has a bigger soundstage as well. The PH are similar to the HD650 in that they seem to run out of space on songs with multiple instruments. I much prefer the laid back treble of the Atticus vs the energetic PH. The PH reminds me of the m50x (which I did not like) in that it pushes every detail towards your ears. This, combined with some treble peaks, can be quickly fatiguing. The Atticus on the other hand is probably more detailed but you can choose if you’d like focus on the microdynamics. The details aren’t in your face, but rather have their clearly defined space and invite you to pay attention to different parts of songs. For those looking for a direct Thx00 upgrade, I don’t know if the Atticus is it. The Atticus is a clearly superior headphone imo, but it’s a different sound signature. I’m interested in listening to the th900, as that appears to share a lot of the thx00’s characteristics.

Overall I’m very happy with my Atticus purchase(s) and over the coming months I’ll be thinning down the heard and selling headphones I don’t listen to much. I also have an incoming Auteur, so I’ll make sure to post comparisons when I receive it. Thanks for reading and happy holidays.

Great impressions! I sold my TH-X00 to fund the Atticus upgrade, and while I do sometimes miss that mind blowing bass of the Fostex, I now appreciate the more nuanced, textured bass of the Atticus. It still has plenty of slam, but it’s the mids that are the star of the show. The Fostex doesn’t come close to the Atticus mids, and I also prefer them to the HD650 - which is meant to be the “king” of mids. Again, like you note, the HD650 has meek bass response on anything but the most expensive SS and OTL amps, which somewhat negates the savings on the headphones.

At this level it’s all about flavour rather than “better”, and the Atticus is by far the most delicious closed headphone I’ve owned and heard.

 

[gLer]

I’d give it a little more burn in before worrying too much. In my experience the ZMF dynamics are about 80% burned in after 50 hours, 90% at 60-70 hours, and 100% at about 150 hours. The biggest leap by far is in those first couple days, so it won’t take you too long to get a better feel for the sound.

Best amp for Atticus depends on you budget and what you want out of the sound. Personally, I like it best with OTL tube amps, which give the Atticus a really nice midrange bloom. The DecWare CSP3, the Glenn GOTL and the Dragon Inspire have all been really nice pairings, in my experience.

My Atticus sounds great from a Matrix HPA-3B solid state amp (which has plenty of power) but comes into its own with my Woo WA3 OTL. Must be something about the higher impedance of the OTL that makes the magic (I’m using WA3 stock tubes).

 

[jmac1516]

Here are my Barnyard Atticus in moderate direct light. You can see the grain much more (as well as the blotch on the lower left cup). Without the lighting, they are a little more subdued and uniform looking.

I’m very happy with them.

 

[Pharmaboy]

One thing I realized about Zach's pictures (probably the result of professional lighting, light backgrounds, etc)--the images are higher contrast than real life. Wood can look dramatic in certain kinds of lighting, but very dull in darker lighting.

I figured this out when I got my ormosia henryi Ori, mainly because Zach very helpfully sent me some pictures he had taken of my headphones. Holding them in my hands in the medium, low contrast light of my home office (no direct sun), I was struck at how different the headphones looked. Actually, I was delighted--they looked calmer in regular light, less "popping" of the grain, etc. Those headphone

Here are my Barnyard Atticus in moderate direct light. You can see the grain much more (as well as the blotch on the lower left cup). Without the lighting, they are a little more subdued and uniform looking.

I’m very happy with them.

Really handsome wood on these headphones: subtle, understated, different.

I like standard cherry to begin with (there are good reasons it's a favorite for furniture)--and this new finish is a fascinating variation on that look.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Wow. Head-Fi just whipped out a partially written draft msg I thought was erased...it appears above the reply I just posted.

(sorry for the discontinous writing--unintended)

 

[mwhals]

Monitor color calibration can have an affect on what you see on the screen. I calibrate my high gamut monitor for Photoshop photography use.

 

[hikaru12]

So is the Valhalla 2 a good amp for the Atticus or should I be looking elsewhere especially to pair with the balanced upgrade cable for them? $800 budget or so for an amp.

 

[musicor]

Atticus > OCC cable > Hugo2 ... awesome combo. Fun to listen to. Dynamic. I want to say great mids but all of it sounds good so I don't want to single out the mids.

 

[whirlwind]

I totally agree about the lighting changing the look of the headphones.....mine are a little darker than any picture that I have taken of them so far.

I am not a very good at taking pictures as far as lighting goes . I must say that I like the look of the barnyard cherry, and if the picture shows up lighter, I understand that the actual color may be darker
due to my experience with taking pictures.

I think its awesome that Zach has been able to make this cherry wood, look like it is so old.

My headphone may not be totally burned in, but it is sounding really good , I am guessing about 80 % burned in, and that figure is just from what others have told me.
Close enough for me to listen to it with my OTL amp....I have wanted to hear this headphone with an OTL amp for quite some time and I am immensely enjoying it.

 

[cute]

If you want to try to make the Cherry cups darker, you could expose them to frequent sun. I have worked at a factory that produced many different woods/wood products. Cherry wood or cherry veneer will get darker with direct exposure to the sun, over time. YMMV!

 

[mysticstryk]

So is the Valhalla 2 a good amp for the Atticus or should I be looking elsewhere especially to pair with the balanced upgrade cable for them? $800 budget or so for an amp.

With an $800 budget I would check out the Mjolnir 2. New it goes for $850 but you can get it used for much less.

Don't worry about balanced or not. An amp designed for single ended will sound it's best, just as an amp designed for balanced will sound it's best balanced. Just look at some of the legendary boutique manufacturers like Eddie Current and DNA. Most of their amps (even the ones providing balanced connections) use single ended design and are some of the best sounding amps in the hobby.

Jotunheim would be a good pairing if you want SS instead of tube (also cheaper at $400 new). I've heard conflicting reports of the Valhalla 2 with Atticus and haven't had a chance to try it myself. May want to check with a few people who have heard that specific combo themselves.

 

[givemetacos]

With an $800 budget I would check out the Mjolnir 2. New it goes for $850 but you can get it used for much less.

Don't worry about balanced or not. An amp designed for single ended will sound it's best, just as an amp designed for balanced will sound it's best balanced. Just look at some of the legendary boutique manufacturers like Eddie Current and DNA. Most of their amps (even the ones providing balanced connections) use single ended design and are some of the best sounding amps in the hobby.

Jotunheim would be a good pairing if you want SS instead of tube (also cheaper at $400 new). I've heard conflicting reports of the Valhalla 2 with Atticus and haven't had a chance to try it myself. May want to check with a few people who have heard that specific combo themselves.

Loved both my Cherry and Cocobolo Atticus out of Valhalla 2. It is a more neutral/lean amp, but it is fast with a ton of detail and microdynamics. I find that I like a leaner pairing with Atticus as it can feel a little bloated with too much added warmth. I definitely prefer Atticus with Valhalla 2 over my solid states, NFB-11, R2R 11, and Magni 3.

 

[hikaru12]

With an $800 budget I would check out the Mjolnir 2. New it goes for $850 but you can get it used for much less.

Don't worry about balanced or not. An amp designed for single ended will sound it's best, just as an amp designed for balanced will sound it's best balanced. Just look at some of the legendary boutique manufacturers like Eddie Current and DNA. Most of their amps (even the ones providing balanced connections) use single ended design and are some of the best sounding amps in the hobby.

Jotunheim would be a good pairing if you want SS instead of tube (also cheaper at $400 new). I've heard conflicting reports of the Valhalla 2 with Atticus and haven't had a chance to try it myself. May want to check with a few people who have heard that specific combo themselves.

Thanks for the help. I was thinking of going with the Mjolnir myself since I want to upgrade from my Mimby to a Gumby soon.

I definitely prefer Atticus with Valhalla 2 over my solid states, NFB-11, R2R 11, and Magni 3.

Good to know it's a good pairing. I think the stock tubes do a great job and are quite neutral and good at detail and soundstage. A bit dry though. I got some JJ's coming in this week to test.

 

[mysticstryk]

Thanks for the help. I was thinking of going with the Mjolnir myself since I want to upgrade from my Mimby to a Gumby soon.



Good to know it's a good pairing. I think the stock tubes do a great job and are quite neutral and good at detail and soundstage. A bit dry though. I got some JJ's coming in this week to test.

I had a pair of JJs when I had my Valhalla 2. It will give you some better bass extension and slam while helping with the dry sounding treble.

Gumby is fantastic and a nice upgrade from the Mimby. I've used them both with the Atticus, can't go wrong with either.